Words on a Page
by YelenaZ
Summary: Due to the treaty negotiations between Ixia and Sitia, all citizens must write to one another to promote better communication between the former enemy states. Letters between a certain Y. and V.
1. Chapter 1

Yelena was never kidnapped by Mogkan and has stayed in Sitia. And there are negotiations for a peace treaty between Ixia and Sitia going on. And that is all you need to know.

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><p>Dear Ixian Stranger,<p>

We don't know each other at all, and that's what makes writing this letter so hard. I have no idea who you are, or what you do for a living. I don't know if you are male, female, old or young. The only reason that I am writing this is because I have to. No doubt you've heard about the treaty negotiations between Ixia and Sitia that led to this. Anonymous letter writing to hopefully improve the precarious circumstances between the two countries.

I don't know if this will work, but I'm willing to try. I won't tell you my name, or what clan I'm from. You know that I'm from Sitia and that will be the only fact that you can use to identify me. I love to eat sweet cakes and I have an abnormally low tolerance for alcohol, which poses a bit of trouble at times, especially at weddings when I have to toast the couple. I can climb trees fairly expertly and I'm pretty good at wielding the bow as a weapon.

I don't know what else to say. If the Commander and the Sitian Council expect us to talk about how to bridge our two countries together, this letter-writing business is going to be tedious. While I feel its important, it shouldn't appear in a letter to a stranger.

Tell me about yourself. And Ixia. Is it beautiful there? I've heard about mountains of snow so large that they challenged even the Emerald Mountains. Does it always snow? Is it always cold? I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

From A Sitian

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><p>Dear <em>A Sitian<em>,

Do you truly feel the need for all this secrecy? I won't tell you my name either, but that I am an Ixian man and that yes, we Ixians can fight when required. There's not much to say about myself other than the fact that I carve sculptures. I think of myself as an artist, even though it seems ludicrous, since I am who I am. My favourite weapon is either the knife or the dagger, depending on the situation. Whatever keeps me alive is fine to me.

Ixia is a beautiful place. It doesn't always snow, even in the far north. Sometimes it gets bitterly cold and I'm reminded of the time I used to live up in the extreme north, near the ice pack. Before you ask if I used to mine diamonds, no, I did not. I don't understand where all this misconception of diamonds only being found in the north came from. Our mountians, called the Soul Mountains are probably larger than the Emerald Mountains due to the accumulative snowfall. In fact, each year they probably grow at least 5 inches higher.

As for your low tolerance for alcohol, there is nothing I advise you to do besides telling you to stay away from it. Of course, that would have probably occured to you already so what I would do in your place is to surreptitiously exchange the glass of wine for a glass of peach juice and drink that instead. You may want to exchange the type of juice however, since peach juice looks nothing like wine.

This will probably be my last letter to you, since it seems that the negotiations between Ixia and Sitia have become increasingly strained. Don't be offended if I don't write again.

From V.

P.S. I won't give you my full name, but it takes to long to write _An Ixian_ and I don't have time to continue writing.

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><p>Should I continue?<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

By the way, Yelena does NOT have magic in this story. At all.

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><p>Yelena finished reading the letter that she had received from her correspondent earlier that day and frowned. Feelings of amusement were warring with the part of her that felt quite offended. How dare this stranger just brush her off like that and expect for her to take it meekly? She was almost tempted to stop writing to him, but had a feeling that this V. probably wouldn't even notice. Anyhow, she didn't want to let down Sitia. For all she knew, V. could be a really important government official that be would be very offended and stop all treaty negotiations if she was to write something rude. So tempting...<p>

She sat down at her cramped table, made from dried lianna vines that her father made for her as a fifteenth birthday gift. The window in her room was large and let in a lot of natural light, but at this time of night, all she had was the dim glow of an almost used up candle stacked precariously on piles of books.

_Dear V.,_

_I have to admit that I am slightly offended that you would simply choose to stop writing. Fortunately, _I_ actually have manners. _

Yelena frowned and scribbled out that last sentence with her worn owl's feather nib.

_Fortunately, I have some free time tonight and will write my last letter to you now instead of just not replying._

_I will have to disagree with you on one thing though, and that one thing regards the Emerald Mountains, which are obviously taller than the Soul Mountains. Whilte I admit that the Soul Mountains have a lovely name, they cannot simply be bigger than our mountains. For one thing, the Emerald Mountains are older, which means it has had more time to have dust or soil to accumulate on it._

_I have also tried what you suggested with the juice at my cousin's wedding last week. She and her husband are both people that truly appreciate wine to the extent that they had abundant supplies of it during their reception and expected everyone to take at least one glass. Luckily there was some apple juice at one of the refreshment tables for the children and I quickly switched my glass. _Un_luckily, my cousin happened to be walking around in that area at that exact moment and while she didn't spot me in the act of switching the glass, she most certainly suspected me of it. This is how the exchange went:_

_COUSIN: Why aren't you drinking your wine?"_

_ME: "I am!" (Here, I gulped down the juice vigorously.)_

_COUSIN: "That didn't look like wine..."_

_ME: "Oh this? This is champagne."_

_It was only after the wedding that I found out that champagne was not served. Now my cousin either thinks that I snuck extra alcohol into her wedding or that I actually switched glasses. I don't know which is worse._

_I know that you won't reply to this, but I just wanted you to know that even if there were consequences, you did save me from making a fool of myself at her wedding. And for that I thank you._

_Farewell,_

_Y._

Yelena scanned over the letter that she had written and immediately decided not to send it. What had possessed her to write about such personal things to an absolute stranger? One letter from him didn't mean that she knew and could trust him. She decided that it must be due to her exhaustion. Yawning, she left the letter on her desk, planning to burn it in the morning, and went to bed.

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><p>The Next Morning...<p>

"Yelena! Wake up!" Nutty shook her shoulder frantically. "Aunt Perl says that if you don't come down to breakfast _now_ she will personally come up here and force feed you!"

Yelena frowned. "Really? She actually said that?"

Nutty rolled her eyes. "Well, I could be exaggerating the facts to get you out of bed more quickly. Anyways, you owe me one."

"Why?"

"I did my good deed of the day for you."

"What?"

"That letter that was on your desk? I put it in an envelope and mailed it to the Citadel to be redirected to your mysterious correspondent in Ixia. I was doing the same to mine and decided why not?"

"_What?"_

Nutty sniffed. "A simple thank you will suffice."

"Nutty, I...I wasn't planning to mail that letter! I put information in it that...I just can't let him read it!" Yelena flopped down in bed and covered her face.

"Ooh...it's a he?"

Yelena sat up and glared at Nutty. "This is not the time to be thinking about that, Nutty. I have to get that letter back!"

"You can't. The mail cart's already left for the Citadel and we both know that by now there's no way of you catching up to it." Nutty looked truly repetant and Yelena grudgingly forgave her.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad letter anyways. The man obviously wasn't going to reply so there was no harm, she supposed. On the other hand, she could only hope that he would burn the letter immediately after reading it. Her cousin Leora had an unusual knack for finding things out.

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><p>I was originally going to stick to a letter format all throughout the story, but then I decided that in order to get to know the characters better, I'd have to write outside the letter as well. Don't worry, Valek's response...or not, is coming up!<p>

Oh, and yes I know apple juice and champagne aren't the same color. But there was no other fruit juice that I could think of that looked similar :(


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter

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><p>Valek sighed as he walked into the war room, where the Commander had summoned him. He saw immediately that there was some kind of meeting going on and that all the Generals were present. It must be the yearly meeting between all the Generals again. He sighed, and tugged irritably at his stiff dress uniform the Commander had ordered him to wear.<p>

Taking a seat next to the Commander, he leaned against the back of his seat and scanned the room. No threats, which meant that his job was done for now. He would still have to listen vaguely to all the details being thrown around, but he wouldn't have to take notes like the rest of them. He had an exceptional memory.

Two hours and five glasses of brandy later, Valek was feeling bored out of his mind. General Tesso was talking about his wheat harvest and the yearly problems they had with cicadas in excrutiating detail. Even the Commander seemed slightly dazed by this.

Suddenly, the door to the war room banged open to receive two messengers. One put some official-looking papers in front of the Commander and the other brought Valek a crisp envelop containing a letter. One look at the paper and he could tell it was from his mysterious Sitian correspondent. Even though he wasn't supposed to read it during the middle of the meeting, he did anyways. No doubt they would find a solution for those cicadas without him perfectly well.

Valek quickly scanned the letter. He fought hard to restrain any sign of emotion but ended up grinning like an idiot. And he was so amused he couldn't even feel irritated by himself for that.

"Valek? Is there anything you would like to share with us?" the Commander said disapprovingly.

"No, sir." Valek immediately sobered and slid the letter into one of his numerous pockets. He pretended to listen while surreptitiously grabbing an inkwell, a quill and a piece of fresh parchment to compose his reply.

_Dear Y._

_I hope that your cousin hasn't found out about the wine. I myself also had a bad experience with alcohol which occured on the first day of my job, many years ago. My boss had had a toast to our business because we succeeded in our goal. I was a teenager at the time, and was not used to imbibing alcohol at all. I drank carefully, but did not know that one glass alone would do me in. Needless to say, once I was drunk, I asked for a second glass, and then another until I was barely conscious. My boss was not very pleased and today, I have learned to hold my liquor well._

_As I am writing this, I am in the middle of a meeting where many kinds of brandy are passed around in liberal amounts. You have saved me from the monotony of this yearly meeting, where most of the men are considerably older than myself and dull enough to put me to sleep, which is no easy task._

_V._

Valek put down his quill and closed his eyes. He would look like a fool if he sent this, but he couldn't help telling his correspondent more about himself when he, or she offered so much about his or herself. He wondered why his correspondent had revealed so much in the first place. Did they want to know him better? Was it due to a desire to soothe tensions between Ixia and Sitia? He did not know.

He sighed and crumpled his letter into a creased ball in his hand, planning to dispose of it later. There was no way he would send this. Not even if he would be able to get out of the meeting if he sent it.

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><p>The day after the meeting...<p>

Ambrose summoned him to his office when Valek was on his way to the training yard. Sighing, he made a detour and slipped into the chair across from the Commander's desk reluctantly.

"What is it, sir?" he asked impatiently. He hadn't trained for a couple days and needed to catch up on his skills.

"You'll be travelling with me to Sitia soon. Under disguise, of course. Our ambassador feels beleaguered by the Sitian Council and has requested my prescence. Apparently, the tension between Sitia and Ixia is getting wrose." The Commander leaned back in his chair and raised his eyebrows at Valek.

"Yes, sir."

"And another thing, Valek. I found a crumpled ball of paper on the floor after the General's meeting. Scanning it over cursorily, I realised it was your letter to your correspondent and have mailed it for you. You are dismissed."

"What?" Valek stared at the Commander in barely restrained shock. "You sent it?"

"Yes, Valek, I believe that is what I've said." The Commander frowned at him. "Is there a problem?"

"No, sir." Valek hurried out of the room. Damn it! His letter with personal information was going to be read by someone, primarily a stranger. He stopped in the middle of the busy corridor, causing servants to almost trip as they manuevered around him. He swore, imagining the type of response his letter was going to get. Very well, _this_ was going to be his last letter, and afterwards, he would cut off the correspondence forever.

Running to the training yard, he could barely wait to start fighting. He had a lot of frustration to burn off.

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><p>REVIEW! :D<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

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><p>"Leave me alone!" Yelena shouted at Walnut, one of her many cousins. Walnut believed that women were silly, weak people that should be submissive to men. Many of the clan members, including his own parents, had tried to change his perspective, but gave up after years of failed attempts. Usually, Yelena had ignored him but this time he had gone too far by suggesting she shouldn't learn how to fight with her bow andd tried to take it away.<p>

Yelena took a few deep breaths and shut her eyes. She really needed something to calm her down. Nutty seemed to be reading her mind and dropped in a few minutes later, silently handing her a stiffly pressed and pristine envelope. Frowning, she read the address and saw that it came from Ixia. That didn't make sense at all, since V. had told her he would stop writing. Maybe her response had been so unexpected and provoking that he felt the need to write back. She smiled. Maybe Nutty's mistake wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Opening it, she read it carefully once, twice and then folded it again. She bit her lip to stop from laughing. V. who had sounded so arrogant and cocky in his first letter was capable of making very human mistakes! She was touched that he would reciprocate and write about a personal experience to her as well, which prompted her to whip out some parchment her father had made from dried liannas and a quill. He deserved a quick response.

_V._

_I'm glad I was able to relieve your tedium at your meeting. You've also cheered me up since my cousin just tried to steal my favourite bow._

Yelena stopped and thought about what to write, tapping her quill against her chin. Why not ask about his family? That would be a safe topic.

_Do you happen to have any annoying mysoginistic cousins that seem to be on a mission to destroy everything you own? I know you're male, but just imagine that you're female and chastised for learning how to fight. I first started learning when I was five and gradually practised throughout the years to reach my standards today. Do Ixians start fighting as soon as they learn to walk, as rumoured?_

_I feel so alone here, even with many relatives surrounding me each minute of the day. They don't understand how much I want to travel and see the world. They don't know how much I want to be free. Anyways, you probably don't want to hear me ramble on about my troubles. Tell me about your family...what are they like? I hope you don't have relatives that try to take away your favourite weapons._

_Y._

Yelena hesitated before writing more. How had she gotten from such a safe subject into her personal thoughts? Letter writing was proving to be a dangerous action.

_P.S. I am a Sitian woman._

Her quill was poised to scratch out the last line but she stopped herself. What was the harm in him knowing? Anyways, it made her feel strange to think that he thought she was a man. Which she was definitely not. Stuffing it in an envelope and running downstairs, Yelena caught the same mail cart that had delivered her the letter before it left. She stood at the base of the tree, watching it gradually take her words to Ixia.

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><p>Valek sighed. It had been a long day. The Commander had gotten the idea that he should take on a second again and had produced a list of suitable candidates. He had then ordered Valek to go and test all of them for potential.<p>

Being loyal to the Commander, Valek couldn't really refuse to do it. But he could be unpleasant about it. He had scared off at least half the potential seconds and the other half were taking care of their bruises after he fought them with a weapon of their choice. The Commander was not very pleased.

"Valek, this is what you need. You barely have time to train anymore and you know as well as I do that this is a top priority for an assassin." The Commander leaned back in his chair and glanced at him in that infuriatingly calm way.

"Sir..." Valek couldn't deny that he had little time for training but what was he to do? Taking a lousy second was not an option. "I will double my efforts in searching for one, but no guarantees."

The Commander harrumphed. "Another thing I needed to tell you is that we will be going to Sitia in six months time. This will be the perfect oppurtunity for you to bring two candidates with you and observe them in a diplomatic setting to see if they are suitable."

"Very well," Valek sighed even though he already knew none of them would match up to his standards. As if his standards hadn't already been lowered enough...

"Well, we'll talk more on this at a later date. A letter came for you." The Commander pulled it out of a drawer next to his desk. "The messenger mistakenly delivered it to me instead of you."

As he took the letter, Valek felt a strange sense of happiness. He had been half afraid that his correspondent would be put off by his personal story and stop writing. Although he would never admit that to himself.

Hurrying to the privacy of his suite, he grabbed a small dagger off a side table and slit open the envelope. Scanning it over, he placed it carefully on the table and sat with this elbows on his knees, head in his hands. There was so much he could say in response to this. There was so much that he could agree with. And therein lied the problem. Valek was not used to talking about himself. His thoughts and feelings were his own and he wanted to keep it that way.

And yet, Valek needed someone to talk to. He hadn't had a confidante ever since he became an assassin. A cold, aloof assassin that nobody truly knew. There were no people he could trust in his line of work. But he was anonymous in this letter-writing scheme. This woman had no idea she was conversing with Valek of all people. As long as he didn't reveal any important information, it couldn't hurt...

_Dear Y._

_No, I don't have any mysoginistic relatives, although I am frequently surrounded by some soldiers that think like that. They haven't gotten over the fact that after the takeover, the women of Ixia can also fight and take up military positions. It's ironic how some of these women can fight two of these men at a time and still win without breaking a sweat. We Ixians generally only start training when we join the military. Training as a child would be cruel. Personally, I started training when I was thirteen, but that was only because I had the motivation to do so._

_My family is non-existant. They were killed during the King's regime._

_However, I do understand how you feel. Sometimes being lonely when surrounded by large groups of people is the worse loneliness of all. I also wish I could leave, but I have too many responsibilities that tie me here. I'm tired of doing what I have to do._

_V._

Valek challenged himself to send it. All his private thoughts that he had mulled over for years. His internal battle between morality and loyalty. The loss of the people he had loved.

He slipped it into the envelope and quickly sealed it before he could change his mind. Picking it up, he placed it into the mail cart outside his suite.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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><p>Nutty Zaltana sat on a vine-covered branch far above the forest dwellings and stared down at her cousin on the jungle floor. Yelena seemed happier than usual, and had been in an excellent mood these past few days. Even now, while Walnut was talking to her, she managed to keep a smile on her face.<p>

Nutty didn't know why Yelena was suddenly so much more cheerful. Nothing had happened in the clan, as far as she knew, and Yelena wasn't going to be doing anything special anytime soon. Then, as if some higher being wanted Nutty's curiousity to be satisfied, the mail cart arrived.

People walked towards it nonchalantly and Nutty coudln't help but notice that Yelena was one of the first people that reached it. Her cousin received her envelope and her face lit up happily with a smile as she hurried to the privacy of her room to read her letter. Nutty nodded her head sagely. That was why. Something suspicious was going on.

_Who was she writing to?_ Nutty wondered for the first time as she strolled towards the cart and retrieved her own letter. Her correspondent was an Ixian soldier named Janco, who happened to like inventing rhymes while he fought to establish an inner rhythm. Nutty shook her head as she thought about him. Ixians were so strange.

Opening her letter, Nutty read about Janco's latest fight against some novice soldiers and laughed as she read his rhyme about novices with clumsy feet and bad balance (don't ask me how he managed to rhyme that!). Nutty frowned as she read his last paragraph.

_Lately, I've noticed that one of the best fighters in our complex has been acting very strangely. He usually has a very strong personality that scares people whereever he goes. Definitely scares me (but not enough for me to stop bothering my friend, Ari). But these past few weeks he's been acting...different. He spends a lot of time reading a piece of paper that I've never gotten a good look at and he's been more...cheerful? Perhaps that's the wrong word. I would say that he's less intimidating. Now, why would that happen?_

_-Janco _

_P.S. Can you help me think of a rhyme for 'thick-headed idiot'?_

Nutty pondered this as she walked to her room. Whipping out her quill, she quickly composed a reply.

_Dear Janco,_

_Thank you for the poem...even if I had trouble understanding it. It must have been really hard finding rhymes for those words._

_It must be a really strange coincidence because my cousin is also acting like your intimidating...whatever he is. I'm inclined to believe that they're both besotted with someone. Preferably someone we don't know. It's the only explanation! Let's make a deal: ask this fighter about what's going on and I'll ask my cousin. We'll compare stories in our next letter._

_Today, I finally beat my cousin (the really mean-spirited one that hates women that can fight that I told you about) with the bow. I thought you'd like to hear about that. I used that trick you told me about and I was finally able to stop his sexist, not to mention mean, comments! It felt so good to prove him wrong after all his years of teasing me. _

_Back to your fighter...I've just remembered that you described him as intimidating. You're probably going to balk at my deal, aren't you? Luckily, I know you well enough to know you would never turn down a challenge. So... I challenge you to ask him, even if he's the Commander. And I know you won't lie, because it's something you would never do...would you?_

_Can't wait until I get down to the bottom of this mess!_

_-Nutty_

_P.S. May I ask who the thick headed idiot is first?_

Quickly stuffing the letter in the envelope and hurrying toward the mail cart before it left, Nutty saw Yelena doing the exact same thing. Interesting.

"So, who's your correspondent?" Nutty asked casually as they walked back to the main dwelling.

"Hmmm...?" Yelena looked up absentmindedly and shook her head as if she had been thinking about something important.

"Who're you writing to?"

"Oh...an Ixian..."

Nutty stopped and gave her cousin an exasperated stare. "Obviously."

"Well, I know that the first letter of his name is V...and he can fight."

"Wait...so you don't actually know his name?" Nutty frowned at this tidbit. How strange.

"I didn't want to tell him mine and he didn't volunteer his, so we both don't know the other's name."

Nutty's face fell. If she didn't even know his name..."Well, how do you feel about him?"

"What do you mean?" Yelena frowned at her. "He's a correspondent that I have to write to. What is there to feel about him?" Without looking back, she turned and walked away. In times of stress, she would always return to her favourite tree, a large, century old giant that had many roots to sit comfortably on and high branches to look out over the land. Yelena climbed up to the highest point and sighed.

She wished what she had told Nutty was true. In fact, it probably _was_ true, and she was just worrying too much as always. Yelena shook that thought away and returned to thinking about V.

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><p>Review please ! :)<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

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><p>Valek was in his element. After a quick swipe to the backs of his opponent's knees, he managed to fall the man without much effort. Putting aside the bow, he looked around the training yard. It was a few days after a horde of soldiers had "graduated" from basic training and he was lacking in partners. Everyone on the field either already seemed to be sparring with one another, or discussing tactics. Valek sighed.<p>

He looked up as a thin, tall soldier approached him. He had dark brown hair, with a goatee covering a small portion of his chin and part of his ear appeared to be missing. Ah yes, this was one of the more advanced soldiers. When Valek had sparred with him, he had held his own, although Valek had won in the end, of course. Frowning, Valek recalled that during their fight, the soldier had been muttering without end and didn't seem to notice.

As the soldier came closer, Valek recalled his name. Janco, yes, that was it. Searching through his mental files, he remembered that Janco had been a young, petty criminal that was given the choice of joining the army or prison. He had a mother that had despaired over his mischievousness but his father had died of hypothermia when he travelled to the north on a trading route.

"Mind if I join you?" Janco asked.

Valek shrugged and leaned against the railing of the fence. He put his hand in his pocket and felt for the letter from his correspondent to make sure it was still there. The parchment was now crumpled, torn and stained, signs of all the times that he had read her words, again and again.

"So..." Janco choked up, as if his words had been caught in his throat.

Valek glanced over at him inquiringly. What was he doing?

"This is for you, Nutty," Janco muttered under his breath before he began again. He wondered briefly if Valek would kill him for asking a personal question. Probably, he decided, but he still had to arise to the challenge no matter what.

"You've been acting different lately," Janco stated and paused as if to judge Valek's reaction.

Valek merely raised his eyebrows. "Is that so?"

Janco made a visible effort to straighten his posture by throwing his shoulders back and looked Valek directly in the eye. "Yes, you've been smiling more and staring at that sheet of wrinkled paper you always carry around."

Valek felt two things after Janco's brave statement. One, he was feeling panicked (just slightly) at the thought of anyone noticing his interest in the letter. But then, why would Janco care? For all he knew, it could have just been a sheet of paper with nothing but useful business contacts on it. As for the second thing, well, Valek was feeling surprised, extremely so. He hadn't noticed how much he depended on hearing from his correspondent. How a short missive from her would make his life just a bit brighter. How her words lent him strength to continue during a long day of espionage.

"It's just some business contacts," Valek lied smoothly, amazed at himself for even bothering to provide an explanation to a question that was really none of the soldier's business.

"Oh really? Then why are you grinning at it all the time?" Janco challenged, while cringing inside. Why couldn't he resist a challenge thrown at him? And it had to be _this_ challenge, to question the most terrifying man in the castle and issued out by someone he hadn't even met. If Ari knew, he would have chided some sense into him. As it was, Ari would probably have to come in and sweep up his remains after Valek was finished with him.

Meanwhile, Valek was amazed, to say the least. Why would this soldier dare to question him like this? Usually they all shied away from him, as if he was a starving snow cat on the hunt. His reputation had been painstakingly built and he was not about to let a single letter bring it apart.

Luckily, an aide of the Commander's came to fetch Valek before he could answer Janco. When Valek left to see what the Commander wanted, Janco leaned against the fence and sighed in relief while berating himself for not being able to weasel out a confession yet. He would just write Nutty and tell her that Valek had proven to be inpenetrable like a stone wall and that while he had tried _very_ hard, the only thing that he had gotten Valek to say was that the paper included business information. Which Janco was inclined to think was a lie.

_Dear Nutty,_

_I think you're right. Something is going on with him. The only thing that I could get him to tell me about the letter was that the paper held business information. And I know that that's a lie. Who looks at business contacts and grins over them all day?_

_I'm one of the soldiers that got selected to go with the Commander to Sitia for a diplomatic visit soon. If it's possible for you, let's meet in the Citadel somewhere so I can finally meet you. I wouldn't have taken up that intimidating challenge for just anyone, you know..._

Janco went on to describe the thick-headed idiot in response to Nutty's inquiry.

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><p>Sorry I haven't update for a while! Exams are in a few days and I have to cram! :)<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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><p><em>Dear V.<em>

_All day my cousin has been pestering and pestering me about you. Who you are (which I don't really know even after all these letters), what you do (which I don't know either), and what you say. I've tried avoiding her for a while but she turns up in the oddest places and refuses to change the subject. Really, I don't know why she has such a keen interest in you. I don't ask her about her correspondent. All I know about him is that his name is Janco and obviously, is an Ixian._

_Don't worry, I haven't told her anything about you besides the fact that your name starts with a V. And that brings me to say that even though we've talked for so long, we don't really know about each other at all. I know I was the one that initiated all this secrecy but can we stop? I'd like to think that we're friends at this point._

_My name is Yelena. I live in the jungle, among the trees and I'm quite adept at climbing. My favourite scent is lavendar and I help my father gather lianas so he can make furniture (mostly chairs) and invent amazing machines. I have an older brother who gobbles down food constantly and a whole assortment of aunts and uncles. As for cousins...there are so many that even I can't keep track of them! My cousin Nutty, who also happens to be my best friend, is who I usually spend most of my time with. She is also the one that wants to know more about you._

_And now... it's** your** turn._

_-Yelena_

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><p>Valek was having a terrible day. A new batch of soldiers had begun training and many had gone up to him to challenge him, only to find themselves unarmed and on the ground within seconds. The more experienced soldiers preferred to spar amongst themselves, leaving Valek with basically nobody remotely decent to spar with.<p>

Except for Maren, of course.

But then she didn't count, as Valek was doing everything he could to avoid her. Lately, she had been acting more and more differently. In a bad way.

The first occasion happened around a month ago, when she asked Valek to help her with her tactics. Since this was a usual request for her, Valek agreed readily. He was told to meet her in a large storeroom on the bottom levels of the castle, which was mostly abandoned. She had come into the room a few minutes later than their agreed meeting time. When she had come in, she had been noticeably flustered. The clothes she wore to spar were rumpled and the top buttons of her undershirt were undone.

When Valek had asked her what had happened, she shrugged and brushed it off. Moments later, after Valek had disarmed her( too easily, in fact) and pinned her on the ground, she had looked at him with the strangest expression in her eyes. They grew soft, and were so different from the man-eating expression that she sometimes wore that he grew uncomfortable. He had hurriedly got off of her and made an excuse before escaping.

Ever since then, the looks that she had given him were becoming more and more longing. Valek had decided to putting a little space between them would probably be the best thing to do. Of course, that also meant that he had just lost one of his favourite sparring partners. Great.

When the mail cart arrived at the main entrance to the complex, Valek stopped thinking about Maren. He rushed to where the letters were being handed out and grabbed his own with uncommon haste, earning him a few amused (and confused) looks from the others. Slowly strolling back to his suite, he read her letter once, twice, and cursed.

She asked for friendship. One of the things that had disappeared from his life ever since he took this job. How could he tell her about himself when doing so, she would be disgusted, revolted by him? He knew most Sitians hated him with a passion for killing the King and his family and she was probably no different.

Although it caused his heart to twist with agony (and he had no idea why), he was going to have to stop writing to her. For real.

He closed his eyes. Maybe one last letter telling her that he was stopping this correspondence would be the decent thing to do. Even though he wasn't so infamous because he was _decent._

_Dear Yelena,_

It warmed to him to finally know her name. It seemed to suit her and he could effortlessly imagine her gracefully weaving from tree to tree, leaving a haunting whiff of lavendar behind her.

_I can't write to you anymore. I can't explain why, just know that I can no longer respond to your letters. It's been pleasant meeting you. I hope..._

_I hope what?_ Valek shook his head and scratched that out. He had no idea what it was he hoped for. All he knew was that he would never get it and it would always be out of reach, for someone like him.

_-V._

It irked him that he still had to sign with an initial. It didn't seem fair for him to know her name, but Valek assured himself it was for the best. For some reason, he wanted her to remember him without hate. _If_ she would even remember him after a few weeks, at least. And his letter! He sounded so flippant and fickle, as if she meant nothing to him. Of course, that was what he was trying to convey to her, but even so, he felt a stab of sadness.

Valek suddenly felt tired. He looked out the thin windows of his suite and saw that the sky was a dark velvet blue. He stood up and walked up to his bedroom, wondering why thinking about his life would exhaust him like this. He had a fulfilling job, his own suite in the castle, an abundance of authority...what more did he need?

He sat up in bed as he realised what he_ really_ needed at the moment was a large amount of brandy.

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><p>What did you think?:) And by the way, in case anyone was wondering, I put Janco and Nutty in the story not because I felt like it, but because they will eventually play a part in how the story will flow. So don't worry if the next chapter's going to be a lot of JancoNutty (I think it wil be, though).


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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><p><em>Dear Janco,<em>

_By now, I think that we can both agree that there's a high possibility that my cousin Yelena is writing to your...er, scary man. In fact, I'm almost certain of it. My cousin has just told me that he decided to cut off their correspondence and she's very upset about it. You don't think he's one of those men that dallies around with various women on a daily basis, do you?_

_In fact, my cousin is more than upset. It's as if something that been keeping her breathing has been broken, and her life is slowly trickling away. I'm probably exxagerating, but I think these two definitely need our help._

_You mentioned that you wanted us to meet when you come to the Citadel. Well, I agree. I also have a wonderful idea to put into action. You can bring this scary man of yours and I can bring Yelena so they can meet each other as well. Why don't we meet at Unity Fountain? It's one of the most famous structures in the Citadel so you'll be able to find it if you ask for directions._

_When exactly are you coming?_

_Love, Nutty_

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><p><em>My dear Nutty,<em>

_I have to say I'm glad you've decided to meet me. Couldn't resist my charm, could you?_

_I also hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there could be a problem with your plan. Scratch that, there's a major obstacle to cross. The man that you refer to as the "scary man" is...well, a scary man. Not the monsters-under-the-bed kind of scary but the kill-you-if-you-annoy-him kind of scary. We've never exchanged more than a polite greeting or two (except when you challenged me to ask about his letter) and there'd be no reason for him to come with me._

_Think about it. He's a high ranking official (that's all I'm going to say about him) and he has other duties to attend to. He won't want to go sightseeing with a scout, or go with him to meet his correspondent. If I tell him Yelena's going to be there, he has more reason not to go. After all, he was the one who broke it off, wasn't he?_

_-Janco_

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><p><em>Janco,<em>

_Don't be a dumb valmur. If he's a high ranking official, all you have to do is to tell him that there's a chance that Ixia's security could be compromised and that there's a secret meeting at the Unity Fountain. Wait...never mind. The Unity Fountain is too public for such a meeting. Just tell him that there will be smugglers gathering at the Fountain to exchange diamonds for silk. Sitia does need more diamonds, anyways._

_Then, hopefully, as soon as he sees Yelena, he'll forget what he came there for. (here there was a large drawing of a grinning valmur)_

_Love, Nutty_

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><p><em>My dear Nutty,<em>

_I am not a dumb valmur. I've thought of that, and if the plan doesn't work, I'm dead. On the other hand, I thought you said your cousin wanted to keep her identity secret. You can't just announce who she is to him._

_What if they aren't writing to each other in the first place? How are we going to explain it then? (here there was a large drawing of a frowning valmur)_

_-Janco_

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><p><em>Dear Janco,<em>

_You think too much. They'll still know who the other is, on an instinctive level. I can just feel that there's something special between them. And if they aren't writing to one another after all, well, there's no harm done in trying. I look forward to seeing you!_

_Love, Nutty_

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><p><em>My dear Nutty,<em>

_All right. You win, and I can't believe I'm actually doing this. Meet me there three days after the cooling season starts, at sunset._

_-Janco_

_P.S. If I don't write back after we meet, it's probably because I'm incapacitated, and that's one of the better possible scenarios._

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><p><em>Two weeks before the meeting was to take place...<em>

"Yelena!" called Nutty. "We have to leave now if we want to catch a lift with the mail cart!"

Yelena came down the stairs, her hair untidy from sleeping and her eyes half closed. "I'm not going, Nutty."

"What! You promised! And besides, I have a surprise for you when you get there..." Nutty said mysteriously. "I promise that you'll like it."

"No. Tempting, but no."

"Yelena..." Nutty trailed off. "You can just stay here and...and _mope_! Eventually you'll have to get over it. And what's a better way to do that than a refreshing trip to the Citadel?"

"If Yelena doesn't wish to go, she doesn't, "interjected Walnut as he came out of the shadows. "In any case, I will keep my cousin happily occupied." There was a leer in his expression that frightened Yelena. When he tried to put his arm around her shoulders, she shrank away.

"Er, that's quite alright, Walnut. On second thought, I'm coming, just wait for a few minutes so I can pack!" Saying this hurriedly, Yelena fled the room.

Walnut scowled. "My cousin does not appreciate the honour of having my affections."

Nutty snorted. "Can you blame her?" she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Um...nothing."

Yelena appeared once again and all but swept Nutty out the door. When Nutty looked back, she saw that Walnut's face had turned dark with fury. Perhaps it was a good thing that they left now. With that look on his face, Walnut couldn't be planning anything good.

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><p>Sorry about the long wait! My other story, A Tale of Sitia, is going to be updated soon so just bear with me please :)<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been trying really hard to decide which universities to apply to :( Hopefully, I'll get into at least one program :/

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><p>It was the day of the meeting. Yelena peered out from under her delicately weaved straw hat, which was designed to protect her from the sun. Hurrying to catch up with her cousin that seemed to have an inexhaustable amount of energy, she huffed.<p>

"Nutty! Why are you running again?"

Nutty grinned. "I don't know. Maybe because I'm really excited to meet him?" She gave a little twirl in place that allowed Yelena to catch up.

"But isn't the meeting at sunset? It's still noon!"

Nutty sighed. Yelena was still against meeting anyone, and it was clear that the only reason she was there was because she didn't want to suffer dealing with Walnut on a daily basis. Not that Nutty could blame her. When she turned around again, she saw that she had left Yelena behind in the crowd of the marketplace.

"You go ahead," Yelena insisted, just as a rather rude man jostled her. "I have to get some lianna polish and wax for my father, anyways. I'll meet you at the yellow striped stall for dinner and then we'll head to the fountain, alright?"

Nutty nodded and headed away. Luckily, if she could catch Janco earlier, she could warn him about Yelena's moodiness.

Meanwhile, Yelena turned away, mumbling. She felt a strange sense of relief, both from being freed from Nutty's exuberance, as well as the the exertion of keeping up with her energetic cousin. After she had attained the polish and wax from a friendly stallkeeper, she strolled around as it was still a couple of hours until dinnertime.

They say fate is a kind of magic onto itself. It works in mysterious, strange ways, weaving the threads of people's lives in intricate patterns that nobody is aware of or can change.

For example, if Harim, the carpet weaver's apprentice hadn't been so eager to leave the stall to hurry home for his mother's birthday that day, he wouldn't have left behind an old carpet he'd promised his master he would mend at home.

And if Tegan, the old carpet master hadn't heard him leaving, he would have never come out and found the abandoned carpet on the floor of his shop, half mended. And he would have never chased Harim at full speed through the crowds with the carpet.

And if Morit, the new cart driver for one of the Citadel farmers hadn't been half asleep, he would have spotted Tegan in the middle of the road and managed to avoid him. However, he only noticed the old man at the last second and jerked on the reins of his old mule.

The mule snorted in pain and reared up slightly. This proved to be too much for the old wagon wheel and it snapped, causing the wagon to overturn and the driver to fall out, unharmed. Unfortunately, the tonnes of dangerously sharp farm equipment in the back of the cart also tumbled out, flying indiscriminately in all directions.

Yelena was strolling leisurely in the shadow of a stall, glancing at the amber studded knives on display when a hard object suddenly flew and hit her from the right.

No, it was not a rake or anything like that.

It was a hard, male body that had attacked her at the last second. Stunned, Yelena gasped as she drew in air, before striking out defensively. But before her fist could connect with anything tangible, it was caught in the hard grasp of a large hand that had moved with deadly speed. Panic surging through her, she tried to roll out from underneath the man, but he was too heavy and was still pinning onto the ground. She had to resort to the switchblade hidden in her belt, her free hand reaching for it.

Another hand flew out and caught her last hope. She was so furious that she could have bit him and his stupid hands.

"Stop fighting," she heard. The only thing she could see now was the horrified face of the stallkeeper looking down on her and a head of dark hair attached to the body of her attacker.

"Let me go!" she hissed, buckling again as if to try throw him off. The stupid man finally got the point and let her get up, brushing at his clothing. She snorted, thinking this man was just as dim witted as Walnut.

But that couldn't make her stop looking at him. Not for the reasons you would think, but the fact that the man was literally covered all over with weapons. He was a walking arsenal. Leif had taught her this skill even before she could fight, and since her powers of observation were very strong, she could usually tell just how many weapons someone had and where they were located. But even thought this man's clothing wasn't baggy at all, she suspected there were more weapons than she had realised. When he had crushed her on the ground, she could barely move without hitting an elbow on a scabbard.

The stallkeeper seemed to finally have found his voice. "You saved her!" he said in a tone of awe.

Yelena shook her head in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"There was a wagon accident and it happened to be carrying what seems to me like a bunch of scythes. When it fell, they flew out and one was headed straight for you." He peered down the front of his stall, where a rusty scythe was half buried inside the wood. "Ah, there it is."

Yelena could only shake her head again. Obviously, she wasn't going to make another trip here anytime soon, if this was what life was like around here. To call it hectic would be an understatement."I suppose I should thank you," she said reluctantly as she turned to face her 'attacker'.

But he was gone again, disappearing into the shadows with an almost feline grace. It reminded her of the stories she had heard about the beautiful but lethal snow cats in northern Ixia. Nobody had ever seen one, as anyone within sight was usually hunted and killed without time for a scream to emerge.

The only thing she knew was that he had eyes that shone even in the shadows. They were a deep, rich blue that mesmerized her for a life-altering second before they were blinked and gone.

She blinked several times herself. It had happened so fast that the incident had taken on a dream-like quality. Saying a hasty farewell to the stallkeeper, she ran off to search for her cousin.

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><p>Review review review! :)<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Schoolwork's been tight, but I managed to squeeze this in between studying for physics and french.

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><p>"So you're saying that this man jumped on you out of nowhere and saved you?" Nutty asked as she brushed aside her bread crumbs.<p>

Yelena nodded warily. "Look, I know it sounds strange but -"

"That's so heroic!" Nutty broke in, her face lit up.

"Pfft. Please. The man probably thought I was another damsel in distress. And you know I hate being treated like I'm weak just because I'm a woman." Yelena looked down at her dinner, which she had barely picked at. For some reason, she had felt a strong sense of melancholy after the incident had occured. She supposed that she was expected to feel elated, and filled with an enthusiasm for life after she was nearly speared with a scythe, but she could feel nothing of the sort. She had a growing suspicion that it was all due to the man with the blue eyes.

Nutty on the other hand, noticed her cousin's new descent into sadness. "Come on, Yelena, let's get going! It's almost time to see them." She stood up, frowning as her cousin copied her movements, but with far less enthusiasm. Obviously Walnut had picked on her far too much and that day's events probably brought back memories of the teasings Walnut would always give her.

Hopefully, seeing the man that Nutty knew Yelena had fallen in love with (even though Yelena didn't know it herself), was going to cheer her up and bring back her appetite.

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><p>"Sir, it's just around that corner," Janco said nervously. He was sweating profusely from worrying about the encounter. What if it wasn't her? What if it was just some random woman? Valek would have his head for that, dragging him out on busy local streets after dinner for "important official business".<p>

On the other hand...he would be able to see his dear Nutty again. The girl whose words made him happy just by looking at them. The girl who helped him write his songs. The girl he had written a song for.

Valek sighed wearily. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, probably because thoughts about the mysterious Yelena had ensured he would not be able to doze off. In the months after he had stopped writing, he had devoted himself to more training, more spying, more everything. He had thrown himself in and immersed himself in his job, hoping that the physical and mental exertion would divert his thoughts.

But nothing could fill that part of him that felt empty without her words. Empty without her stories that made him both laugh and smile in sympathy. The way she would know exactly how he felt and why.

In fact, just thinking about her again was making him have a massive headache.

"You're getting thirty more laps to run tommorrow if this isn't something good," he growled, taking out his anger.

Janco sighed in relief. Sure, thirty laps wasn't anything to be ecstatic about, but at least he wasn't going to be butchered into little pieces and fed to snow cats. "Yes sir."

When the two rounded the corner, the Unity Fountain sprung into sight. Made of one piece of marble that had to be transported from the Emeral Mountains, it was carved into spheres within spheres and was truly a work of art and beauty. As Janco squinted in anticipation, he saw a slim form emerge from behind the fountain and stop suddenly as she saw him.

"Janco!" Without warning, a slim, petite woman nearly barreled him over with a hug.

He smiled crookedly. After all, he _was_ quite irresistable. And modest too. "Nutty?" Tilting her face up, he smiled down after her, taking in her warm tinted skin and long dark hair. No doubt about it, she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"If you brought me here just to witness a meeting between you and your sweetheart," Valek's dry voice interjected," I'm afraid that there's more than thirty laps waiting for you tomorrow."

Nutty stumbled out of his arms and turned around. "But...but, that's impossible. She was right behind me. Yelena!"

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><p>Yelena heard Nutty cry out her name, but she didn't move from the niche she had hidden herself behind the fountain. When Nutty had finally dragged her to this place, she had been told that her correspondent would be here. And seeing the look of pity that lingered in Nutty's eyes was too much to bear. He had broken it off for a <em>reason<em> and there was no way she was going to let herself be hurt again.

Through the thin veil of water , she could make out the blurry forms of Nutty, a tall thing Ixian soldier and another man that moved like a panther. At the sound of her name, the man stiffened suddenly and Yelena could almost feel his sharp gaze fall on her. He began walking to the fountain with a deliberateness that reminded Yelena of a mouse being stalked by a cat. A snow cat.

It couldn't be him. It just couldn't be, Yelena thought as she moved to the left, always keeping him from seeing her. Why would be come to Sitia, after he had refused to write to her? After he had subjected her to sleepless nights where she had just lain awake, her heart heavy. It wouldn't matter to her anyhow, if it was truly him, Yelena told herself. He had deserted her and he hadn't wanted her. She wasn't going to start begging for him, if that was what he wanted.

He made a sudden swerved and he would almost be able to see her through the water. Yelena moved to the right again, struck again by the irony. Yes, it was like he was hunting her. Playing with his prey before destroying any hope she had.

But that last swerve of his was a trick. As soon as she had moved more to the left, he darted back around and caught her. And Yelena's eyes blurred with tears as strong arms came around her.

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><p>Janco and Nutty finally met! :)<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

Ta daa! New chapter! I'm planning to leave A Tale of Sitia on hiatus because I seriously don't know how to resolve anything in that story :(. However, I want to start writing a story that I've had in my mind for about two years now, and have it all planned out.

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><p>Yelena gasped and tried to get free. How dare he? It was obvious that she didn't want to see him, and frankly, after what he did, he had no right coming to Sitia. And definitely no right to try meet her. He was the one who broke it off, he should be the one to stick to his rules.<p>

Looking up, she was astounded to see blue eyes staring directly at her. "You! From the market? _You_ were the one who I was writing to?"

Yelena got a good look at his face. He had strong, sharp features that resembled a stone statue, like those that he had told her he enjoyed carving. There was something cold and barely human quality that made him seem like he had no emotions, and would never feel joy, or love. She would never know that his entire face would transform when he smiled, and that his air of indifference would melt away to reveal the true man beneath. She would never know because he would never smile for her. To smile for her would be to admit weakness, in his opinion, and in his profession, that could kill a man.

"I was writing to a woman named Gale," Valek said flatly, letting go of her. "And unless I'm mistaken, your name is Yelena."

She seemed to collapse in on herself. True, she had been furious that he would come after causing her such anguish...but seeing him had given her a fragile hope, even though she would never admit that to herself. She had harboured a cherished hope, in a distant corner of her heart, that he would come for her one day. That they would finally be able to communicate in another means. Not just words on a page.

Valek watched Yelena and he felt a slight twinge of emotion but he brushed it aside. It would have been far worse he if hadn't lied to her. It would have given her more hope for something he would never be able to provide.

He turned and left. As he passed Janco, he said, " Fifty laps tomorrow."

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><p>"Yelena! I'm sorry! I truly thought that it was him, and I...I was just so tired to seeing you so depressed all the time." Nutty ran after her and gave her a comforting hug.<p>

"It's alright, Nutty. It's just that...I just...Thank you for everything you've done, but I don't think I can stay here any longer." Yelena could feel her throat tightening and her eyes were suspiciously damp.

"If only he was the right man! I'm sure he would have leapt at the chance to be with you for even a few hours!" Nutty said in frustration.

Yelena stopped walking and there was a long silence. Baffled, Nutty stared at her cousin's back. "He was," Yelena said in a tight voice.

"He was...What are you talking about?"

"He _was_ the right man. He was V." Yelena shook her head slowly.

Feeling apprehensive, Nutty blurted out, " But how did you know?"

"Because he was too cowardly to give _us_ a chance. He wouldn't even try because he didn't want to risk it. And I don't deserve that. I'm leaving, Nutty and please don't follow me. I need some alone time. And I never want to see him again." And with that, Yelena walked slowly away, head bowed as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.

Nutty could only stare after her, mouth open in shock.

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><p>Once Yelena was gone, Nutty turned to Janco. "We have to do something about this!" she said urgently.<p>

"Why? You saw how he was. Do you really want to risk making you cousin feel worse than she already does?" Janco asked bluntly.

Nutty got a strange, panicked look in her eyes. "We have to convince him to tell Yelena how he feels!"

"Why? Obviously the man doesn't want to and I doubt anyone can make him do anything he doesn't want to do. Besides, what if...he truly doesn't feel anything for her?"

"Did you see the look on his face when he held her? If Yelena had looked up, she wouldn't be feeling this way right now. The man loves her, even if he's too thick-headed to know it or show it."

"That could be a possibility, but why are you so adamant to bring them together?" Janco asked as he slowly steered Nutty towards one of the best food stalls in the Citadel.

"Because if Yelena doesn't fall in love and marry another man before her twenty first birthday, which is the age of majority in Sitia, she'll have to marry Walnut."

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><p>To clear up a misconception: when I wrote the end of the previous chapter, I did not intend for it to be mushy. You guys were quite right in saying that it would be too sudden and I would have found it extremely unrealistic. I just meant that part as: Valek and Yelena circle around the fountain. He is curious as to why she is running away and so catches her. That's all :)<p>

PS. Oh, and I forgot to mention this earlier, but Walnut is NOT a first cousin of Yelena's. He is a fourth cousin, several times removed.


	12. Chapter 12

BAHHH...so sorry for not updating! :( I've been busy with school, especially french! I don't get why there have to be so many verb tenses! Ah, well, to be fair, english probably has the same amount, but I just take it for granted.

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><p>Janco stared at Nutty as if she had just sprouted wings and a beak. "I could have sworn you said that Yelena would have to marry Walnut."<p>

Nutty sighed. "It all dates back to the time when their fathers were at odds with each other, many years ago. I'm not really clear on what happened, but apparently Uncle Esau was in the wrong and Uncle Gru, Walnut's father, demanded some kind of compensation."

"But...marrying your own cousin? Isn't that a bit much?" Janco said as he expertly steered Nutty into a cozy little corner next to a stall where wonderfully aromatic food was being sold.

"Not if you're Uncle Gru. Walnut...he never got along with any of us, and his mother was desperate to see him married. Uncle Gru did the only thing he could think of and demanded Yelena's hand in marriage on her twenty first birthday. Luckily, Uncle Esau managed to make some concessions: If Yelena fell in love and married that man before time was up, the whole bargain would be off. But I still don't know why Esau agreed to put up his beloved daughter as the price though. He loves her. It doesn't sound like something he would do of his own free will."

Janco was practically drooling over the food.

"Did you hear anything I said?" Nutty asked, annoyed.

He smiled. "I was admiring a beautiful woman." He cast an eye over her and grinned suggestively.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "There's time for that. But we need to figure out what to do next! I can't allow Yelena to be married to that arrogant, mysoginis-"

Her words were cut off when he gently pushed a piece of tender beef into her mouth.

"There's time for scheming as well. But you're clearly exhausted and famished." He leaned in and kissed her and Nutty felt warm despite the chill of the night air. She settled against him and closed her eyes, mourning the fact that while she may have found happiness, Yelena was far from that state.

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><p>Yelena closed her eyes. She was cold, and wet, due to the fact that she had tripped into a puddle. Now that she was ensonced in a tiny covered space between two stalls, she could think.<p>

He had been nothing like she'd imagined while also being more than she'd imagined. There was something within him that made her happy when she was near him. It was the same essence that had filled his letters to her: the way that he actually seemed to care about her. The way he would comfort her when Walnut had made an ass of himself again, or when she got in a fight with Nutty.

Of course, all of that was irrelevant now. She'd had so much hope...even when he stopped writing, she hoped that one day he would start again, or that he felt the same way she felt about him anyways. What a fool she'd been.

All she could do now was wait for her birthday to arrive. Then, she'd have to marry Walnut, and live a life of misery and conforming to his beliefs of what a woman should be and should do. And frankly, that was unacceptable.

Or...the other thing she could do was fight. For some reason V. was holding back, and she intended to find out why. She wasn't going to leave without any answers!Leif hadn't accused her of being unreasonably stubborn thousands of times during their childhood for no reason. She'd find out everything, even if she had to ambush him or sneak into the Keep.

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><p>Dear Maren darling,<p>

Wonderful. The plan is progressing nicely. Keep strengthening his insecurities and this will all work out. In fact, their first meeting probably occured today, and I would bet anything that he turn her down, or lied to her again. At this rate, you'll have Valek and I'll get to marry Yelena in no time.

In the meantime, keep peeking at his letters and dropping hints about how he should never end up with anything woman but an Ixian woman like you, that is battle hardened and vigorously trained. Keep hinting that he will hurt Yelena, and he'll be putty. Oh, my genius. To be able to bring the mighty Valek, the assassin feared by both Ixians and Sitians, to his knees! Nobody will be able to deny me anything anymore. Including Yelena.

-Walnut

P.S. I love your deviousness, my dear. If you weren't so smitten with him and if Yelena wasn't so beautiful, I'd marry you in a heartbeat.

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><p>Haha, I can't tell you how much fun I had writing Walnut's letter. :) Please review and tell me what you think. Suggestions for plot are always welcome, since I'm starting to run a bit dry, as you can tell by the shortness of this chapter.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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><p>"Hey, you! What're you doing here?" The guard came out from the guardhouse and stood obstinately in her path.<p>

Yelena thought quickly. "One of the soldiers asked me to buy something for him and he wants me to bring it to him personally. He's not very patient, so..." She quickly dodged around the young trainee and ran towards the Keep's guest quarters.

The guard made a lot of noise about it, but he didn't really pursue her. He probably thought she was just a harmless saleswoman, since he probably scanned her and found no traces of magic or weapons.

Perfect. Now, if only she could figure out which of the hundred or so rooms in the guest wing were _his_...

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><p>"Janco, we have to find her <em>now.<em> Yelena was never a patient child, and when something didn't happen like she wanted it to, she'd go fix it herself." Nutty worried her lip as she and Janco half ran, half jogged back to the Keep.

Janco shook his head, not even out of breath. "What could happen in an hour?"

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><p>Valek was having an exceptionally bad time. He had found that he couldn't bring himself to sleep, even though he knew he had that early meeting tomorrow with the Commander and the Master Magicians. But the only thing that he could think about was the way <em>her<em> face drained of color and how she looked at him like he had destroyed everything around her.

He gritted his teeth and threw another stone against the wall. The wall by now was cracked and held little fragments of rock that had crumbled. At this rate, the Keep would have to call someone in to make a new wall.

Sighing, he sat back down on the bed, his head lowered into his hands. He was beginning to feel twinges of an emotion he sensed was regret. And that was impossible. He never regretted anything once he had done it. Not after he had killed the King, not after he had become the security chief of Ixia.

A sharp knock at the door startled his thoughts. His hand immediately came down over a long knife on the bedside table. "Come in," he called out hoarsely, not having the energy to move.

The door slowly eased open and he had the strangest hope that it was _her._That somehow, this was a world where the two of them could actually belong together.

He let go of the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Maren stuck her head inside.

"Valek, you can't sleep either? Do you want to spar with me in the training grounds? They're probably mostly empty right now," Maren said cheerfully, closing the door and dropping into a chair.

She'd wanted this man for such long time. Ever since she'd been one of the newest trainees in the castle, she'd always admired his strength, his grace, his ability to make every gesture seem fluid and effortless. And now that she was so close to having him in the palm of her hand, she wasn't going to let that little jungle savage come and take _her_ Valek away from her.

She'd waited years for him. She'd trained and trained, knowing that the only way to get him to notice her would be for her to be an exceptional soldier. And she'd become that, almost reaching the point of being his second. _He_ was the only reason she hadn't quit and gone back hom. And what irked her was the fact that no matter how hard she tried, he would only give her a word or two on how to improve before turning to his next opponent. She meant nothing.

"I'd rather not," Valek said non-commitedly. "It would probably be best if you left now." It might be rude, but he didn't want to have to put up with her now. Her simpering and fawning over him made him feel annoyed and slightly ill at ease.

She got up from her chair and for a moment he thought she would leave. But instead, she came towards him and reached for him. Immediately, he moved back, wary. What was she doing?

Without warning, she dropped herself on him and pressed her lips against his. He was stunned. Maren had never really hinted. She...Well, maybe she had and he'd tried to ignore it. He tried to lift her off of him and ended up only making her struggle more.

A quiet gasp by the door caught his attention. Throwing Maren aside, he dashed towards it, only to realize that she had left. She had seen everything.

His headache grew worse. Why did it have to be _her_?

* * *

><p>I've always wondered if many women in the castle were after Valek and too intimidated not to show it...I've always had the strangest suspicion that Margg had a thing for him. But alas, it was not to be :)<p>

Review please ~


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Yelena POV

Without thinking, she _ran. _How could have she been so disillusioned to think that he had been interested in her in the first place? She darted past soldiers training in the courtyard, and any guards that looked like they wanted to question her.

Stupid, stupid Yelena, she chided herself. She should have known. Of course such a highly ranked and respected man would have some sort of wife or sweetheart already. Not to mention _the_ Valek. Women probably threw themselves at him on a daily basis. And she was just one among them.

Well, she'd have to marry Walnut now, and spend the rest of her life listening to his irritating commentary on what women should and shouldn't do.

No.

Such a life was not acceptable.

"Oi! We leave at sunrise, so load the carts and get a good night's sleep! If you're not there when we leave, you stay in Sitia until…well, until I don't know when!" the captain of the guards called out. Everyone stopped what they were doing and began to prepare.

Yelena's eyes darted frantically. She couldn't go home, and if she stayed here, she'd eventually be caught. There was only one option left: go to Ixia.

As the guards began loading the carts with their equipment and any luggage that the dignitaries and higher-ups had, Yelena snuck aboard one of the food carts. At any rate, she'd have a supply of food on the way there. The overpowering smell of onions made her slightly nauseous and she regretted choosing this cart to stow away in.

Too late. The cart began to move, bumping over uneven ground. The carts with supplies must have been scheduled to leave several hours early due to their slow speed.

In the darkness, Yelena's eyes began to droop in exhaustion. Today, her life had been changed completely. And as she fell asleep, she thought of Nutty and her sweetheart, Janco. It had worked out well for them, and she knew Janco would comfort Nutty after her disappearance. Her family wouldn't take the news well, and she wished she could have told Leif, at least. But maybe this was the best thing to do. Right now, all she could do was hope.

* * *

><p>Valek POV<p>

He couldn't sleep. When he closed his eyes, he kept seeing the image of Yelena's face, and the look of betrayal on it. Tomorrow the whole Ixian party was leaving to go home, and perhaps it was for the best. He would leave and this would all end.

No more letters.

No more Yelena.

And yet, the intuition that had kept him alive all these years told him that he hadn't seen the last of her yet...

* * *

><p>It's been so long I had to go back and reread what I wrote lol<p>

Please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Yelena POV

A piercing light was shone into her eyes. Groaning, she covered her eyes with a hand and tried to go back to sleep.

"You shouldn't be here," a voice whispered into her ear.

Startled, she sat straight up, only to hit her head against a barrel of onions. "What the-!"

An angelic-looking boy sat beside her, tilting his head. "You're not from the castle. I'd have recognized you."

She groaned and rubbed her head as she looked around for guards.

"Don't worry, I told them that my mommy needed their help when they wanted to get onions. You're safe for now," he assured her, grinning until dimples appeared in his cheeks.

She looked at him in appreciation. "Why are you helping me?"

He shrugged as he scrambled up to peer over the side of a barrel. "You seemed nice, and mommy did want some help winding some yarn. Say, why are you here?"

"I need to - " She stopped as the little boy suddenly ducked down behind the barrel with her.

She stopped breathing as soon as she heard Valek's voice a few feet away. "Corin, your mother's been looking for you for the last ten minutes. Dilana's starting to get worried now, so you should get out from behind those barrels."

Corin stood up and grinned innocently. Without changing his facial expression, he squeezed her hand as if assuring her he would be back later. Without a word, he scrambled off the cart.

As the two walked away, Yelena heard Valek berating the little boy on wandering around alone while travelling. Now, she could only hope her luck didn't run out.

* * *

><p>Nutty POV<p>

Nutty and Janco had searched through the entire marketplace. All the stalls had closed and all the storekeepers had left for home, and there was no sign of Yelena.

Now that it was morning, the Ixian soldiers were leaving for home from the Citadel, but Janco had requested and received permission to stay in Sitia as part of the diplomatic party that remained for several more weeks.

tburied her face against Janco.

Janco looked down at her, troubled. From what Nutty had told him through letters, Yelena had seemed to be a stubborn sort of woman, and there was no saying what she could have done during the night.

"Just...just how desperate is Yelena to call off the impending nuptials with this Walnut?" he asked carefully.

Nutty sniffed and wiped away a tear. "She absolutely _hates _him. Ever since we were children, she's gone out of her way to avoid him entirely. And considering the things he's said and done to her, I don't blame her."

Her eyes widened as she came to the same conclusion. "You think that after the meeting with Valek crashed and burned that she ran away to escape the wedding!"

Janco shrugged. "It seems plausible if he's as horrible as you tell me he is."

"Oh, he is. But surely, she knows that her parents won't stop looking for her! Her brother loves his little sister, and would never accept a disappearance like this."

"Her parents won't stop looking for her..._in Sitia_," Janco said slowly.

"In...Sitia. You don't think that...No, she would never...she..."

"She's gone to Ixia!" they said together, looking at each other with wide eyes.

* * *

><p>Maren POV<p>

She glared angrily at the punching bag as she took out her frustration. He'd pushed her away, again! And then, even though he'd planned on staying as part of the diplomatic party, he'd left this morning without saying anything to anyone. Leaving her here for several weeks, with no way to see him.

A page brought her a note and she stopped hitting the bag to take it.

It read:

_Dear Maren,_

_My beloved cousin has just left for the Citadel as I write this letter. I will depart immediately after so we may meet to discuss our plans. Meet me behind the locksmith's stall in the market at midday on the day you get this. I will wait for you._

_-Walnut_

She glanced out the window at the sun nearly overhead. Cursing, she quickly ran out to find the stall. Sure enough, a man with dark brown hair was peering around as if waiting for someone. Just as she was about to approach him, a cry rang out that caused him to turn.

A rather pretty girl with Janco's arm around her was staring at him in horror.

"Walnut, what the hell are you doing here?!"

* * *

><p>Dun DUN DUNNNN!<p>

As always, please review!


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